Wed Sep 18 06:14:06 UTC 2024: ## India Prepares for Spin-Friendly Pitch in Chennai Test, Despite Pacers’ Advantage
**Chennai, India** – With the first Test between India and Bangladesh set to begin on Thursday, the focus for the Indian team has shifted to mastering spin bowling on a black-soil pitch, despite the expected pacer-friendly nature of the red-soil wicket.
The training session on Tuesday saw the Indian batsmen diligently practicing against spin, reflecting their recent struggles against Sri Lankan spinners in a recent white-ball series. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged the team’s need to address this weakness, especially with a tour to Australia on the horizon.
“The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England, (so) that we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit,” Doeschate admitted.
While the red-soil pitch is generally known for offering good purchase to pacers, the black-soil training surface and the extreme heat predicted for Chennai are expected to bring spinners into play as the match progresses.
“It’s really hot here in Chennai for the last couple of weeks, with temperature touching late 30s,” a veteran curator explained. “Even though I heard that the pitch is sufficiently getting watered, the extreme heat could lead to its disintegration as the match progresses.”
The uncertain nature of the pitch has forced the Indian management to carefully consider their team selection for the opening Test. The potential inclusion of a third spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, is being weighed against the need for a third pacer in either Akash Deep or Yash Dayal.
With the second Test at Kanpur expected to be slower and lower, the three-pacer ploy aligns with India’s strategy of giving their fast bowlers ample experience ahead of the Australia tour.
The team will conduct an optional net session on Wednesday, allowing further preparation before the first Test commences.
First Piper 